Michael Langley
Michael Langley is the founder and President of Langley Group, an economic development consulting practice with offices in Pittsburgh and Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, focused on solutions for private and public sector leaders and organizations to achieve excellence in their regions through stronger economies and communities. Michael’s award winning work as a practitioner includes his leadership as CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, often regarded as a national model for implementation of best practices for regional economic development, regional advocacy, and public policy research. He also was one of the founders of Florida’s Internet Coast technology initiative, and Langley Group was retained to lead implementation of education technologies for the Disney/SBA National Entrepreneurial Center in Orlando.
While CEO of the Allegheny Conference, the Pittsburgh region grew dramatically as a center of excellence in advanced materials manufacturing, life sciences, information technology, and energy technology while being named “America’s most Livable City”. More than 800 companies announced expansions or new facilities in the region, creating nearly 45,000 new jobs, and southwestern Pennsylvania has become a more important player in the global economy, with more than 115 new operations, expansions or local acquisitions by foreign-owned businesses and significant increases in exports from the region. Under Mike’s leadership the region achieved more than $1.0 billion in business tax reforms; secured $250 million in water quality and sewer improvements that received $3 billion in federal funds (pre stimulus) across 10 counties; organized major air service customers to work in partnership with government to attract new airlines (Southwest, Jet Blue, and Delta international service); and led successful community effort to retain the U.S. Air Force Reserve 911th Airlift Wing, along with its 1,700 jobs and $60 million annual economic impact, and to create a prototype national Joint Readiness Center in the Pittsburgh region.
Prior to joining the Conference in 2003, Mike led Langley Group in Florida, serving as a consultant to Enterprise Florida and Workforce Florida. Prior to founding his own firm, he served as CEO of the Broward Alliance, another regional economic development group in Florida, where he successfully linked competitive organizations to form broader regional collaboration and outcomes. The majority of his corporate career was spent in the technology sector, working in leadership positions for a number of Westinghouse/CBS subsidiaries, including serving as president and CEO of Westinghouse Audio Intelligence Devices, Inc., a world leader in wireless surveillance technology.
A graduate of the Naval Academy, Mike also earned a master’s degree in information systems from the Naval Postgraduate School. He served as a Navy pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flight and crew time on surveillance and intelligence missions and as a technology analyst on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. Mike joined the Naval Reserves in 1985, serving as commanding officer for Naval Air Station Norfolk’s (Va.) Reserve Command, and retired as a Captain in 2000 aboard the USS Cole. He has also been awarded a doctorate in Humanities by American Intercontinental University for his work in community improvement.
Currently, Mike is an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on “Regional Competitiveness in the Global Economy”.
Mike serves as chairman of the board of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship and as a director on the boards of a number of national and regional business, economic development, community, military, and cultural organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), the Senator John Heinz History Center, and Junior Achievement.
Mike is a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas. He and his wife, Julie Ann, have two adult children. His daughter, Lauren, is an artist. His son, Brent, is an information technology professional who, with his wife, Wendy, has two sons, Evan and Ryan.